Cigar-cutter.



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. ELDRED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

clem-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent No. 653,291, dated July 10, 1900. Application filed May 12, 1909. Serial No.`16,456. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. ELDRED, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invent-ed certain Vnew and useful Improvements in Cigar-Cutters, of which the followingis a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to that class of devices which are adapted to cut the tip from a cigar preliminary to the smoking of the same; and its objects are to provide a device of this class which shall be automatic in its action and always ready for use and to generally improve and simplify the construction of such articles. Y

The invention consists, broadly, in a frame within which there is mounted an oscillating blade, an oscillatin g plate being located above the blade and having an aperture for the reception of the tip of the cigar, the oscillating plate being so connected with the blade that by the depression of the one the other is retracted, and means being provided for disconnecting these parts, so that when the plate isin its depressed position the knife is thrown forcibly forward by means of a suitable spring and cuts off the tip of the cigar.

The invention consists more specifically in the details of construction hereinafter described, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichha Figure 1 is a plan view of the cutter, some of the internal parts being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a similar section showing a modified form of construction. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig, 5 is a detail plan section on the line 5 5 of Fig.

The case or frame 10 of the device is preferably made of met-al and is oblong rectangular in form and is mounted upon a standard 11. The upper plate of the case 10 is apertured, and within this aperture there is located one arm of a bell-crank 12, which is pivoted to the case at 13, this arm taking the form of plate 14, having an aperture 17 for the reception of the tip of the cigar or being adapted to receive the pressure of the finger of the user for the purpose of depression, the

plate being normallynclined upwardly above the upper surface of the' case 10. This arm of the bell-crank 12 is also provided with depending side ianges 15, which at their forward ends are-united by a flange 16, preferably curved inform in an arc struck from the pivot 13 asa center, and these flanges are of such width that their lower edges do not come to the upper surface of Vthe case 10 when the lever is in its normal position.

A blade 18 is carried by a swinging arm or lever 19, pivoted at 2O to the walls of' the case A10 and controlled bya spring 21, which throws the arm forwardly against a stop 202. When in its normal position, the blade lies across the line of the path of the aperture 17.

One arm 22 of the bell-crank 12 projects downwardly withinthe case 10, and to it there is attached a spring 26, which holds the plate 14 in its elevated position. p y

A tailpiece 2,3 is pivoted to the arm or lever 19 at 24 and has a notch for engaging a lateral lng 22*` on thearm 22 of the bell-crank lever, so that when the plate 14 is depressed and the arm 22 is thereby swung backwardly the arm or lever 19 is drawn back against the resistance of the spring 2l. A trip 25, located within the rearward portion of the case 10, receives the end of the tailpiece as it is drawn back and raises it so that its notch is disengaged from the lug 22a, whereupon the arm orlever 19 is returned to its normal position with such force that the blade 18 will cut off the tip of the cigar, which now crosses its path.

The trip 25 is preferably adjustable, and in order to secure this adjustment I prefer to make it, as shown, in lthe form of a round block held by means of a screw` 27 passing eccentrically through it, so that by loosening the screw the blockrnay be turned to change the elevation of its upper surface.

` In Fig. 3 a tailpiece 2S is shown, which is rigidly attached to the arm or lever 19, and its notch is on the side, as shown at 29, instead of at its under edge, as shownin Fig..2. The arm 22 of the bell-crank lever is reduced in length and is provided with a flexibleand elastic extension 90, which is adapted to engage the notch 29 and is of such lengthgthat when the plate 14 has been depressed to the level of the top of the case 10 the end of the IOO form of spring, as the leaf-'spring 3l, bearing' against the arm 22, may be employed for returning the bell-crank lever to its normal Vpo-. I do not desire, however, to be limsition. ited to either of the specific forms shown, as

the scope of the invention will include anyv device in which a blade is retracted by the depression of a lever and is automati'callyl released from engagement therewith and thrown forward by spring tension.

I claim as my inventionl. In Ya vcigar cutter, in combination, a

frame, a bell-crank lever having an aperture to receive the tip of a cigar, a swinging arm, ablade carried by the arm and so disposed as to `move across the lever-aperture, a tailpiece projecting from the blade-carrying lever and bei-ng normally engaged by the bellcrank lever, means for disengaging the tailpiece from saidlever, and springs for returnling thefsaid lever and arm to their normal positions.

2. In a cigarcutter, in combination, a frame, a bell-crank leverh'aving an aperture to receive the tip of a cigar, a swinging arm, a blade carried by the arm and so disposed as to move across the lever-aperture, a notched tailpiece pivoted to the blade-carryi-n g lever and being normally engaged bythe bell-crank lever, one arm of the bell-crank lever being no rmally in engagement with the notch ofthe said tailpiece, a trip for disengagi-ng the tailpiece from vthe lever, and'springs v'for returning the said lever and arm lto their normal positions.

3. In a cigar cutter, in combination, a

l frame, a bell-crank lever having an aperture to receive 'the tip of afcigar, a swinging arm, a blade carried by the arm and so disposed as to move across the lever-aperture, a notched tailpiece pivoted to the blade-carrying lever and being normally engaged by the bell-crank lever, one arm of the bell-crank lever being normally in engagement with 'the notch of the said tailpiece, an adjustable trip for disengaging the tailpiece from the lever, and springs for returning the said lever and arm to their normal positions.

4. In a cigarcutter, in combination, `a frame, a bell-crank lever having one arm apertured lto receive the tip of a cigar, a `spring for holding the lever in its normal .posi-tion, an oscillatin g spring-controlled blade having a movement across the lever-aperture, `connection between the lever and blade whereby the movement of the lever retracts the blade, and means for disconnecting such parts.

`5. In a ycigar cutter, in combination, a frame, a spring-retracted lever, a'spring-controlled reciprocating blade, connection between the lever and blade whereby the one retracts the other, and means for breaking such connection.

GEORGE S. EID-RED.

Witnesses:

L. F. MCCREA, LOUIS K. GILLsoN. 

